Today, UnMade
by bluelily3
Summary: In the future, Sonic and Sally have a daughter named Sonia. This is her story of their recent battle against a new enemy, and how she rescues her father from certain death. AN: Sonia is a hedgehog. ONE-SHOT


I still couldn't believe I was doing this. To think that my parents actually _wanted _me to be a part of the fight against Mortivus was just insane. He was ten times worse than Robotnik had been. Nowadays, old Eggman was retired, and sometimes he actually lent us help to fight Mortivus. For a price, of course.

I ran down the corridors, trying to keep my mind on the mission. It was a little hard to do, since I inherited brain power from my mother, and speed from my dad. The two didn't combine well when it came to keeping my thoughts from buzzing around.

I saw my target straight ahead. The computer that controlled everything on this particular cell block. I had to put it out of commission. There had been some enemies up until now, but I had already taken them out. They weren't robots like my parents dealt with in the old days. They were Mortivus's special breed of mutant beasts. It was said that Mortivus himself was a mutant. Some sort of mish-mash of different creatures, mixed with cyborg parts. But even my dad hadn't seen him face-to-face yet. He had the ability to teleport, and could be anywhere at any time. Every time we got close, he disappeared. Dad called him a coward and Mom said he was planning something horrible. Well, we were in the middle of the war, and we were about to find out.

I approached the computer, and rapidly punched in the numbers and symbols my mom had written down. She usually did these missions herself, but they needed my speed for this one. I had already taken out two other cell blocks today. Time to make it a third. The computer overloaded like it was supposed to, and I backed away. Now it was time to check in with Dad. He was outside battling mutants, and freeing more potentials. "Potentials" were what Mortivus called his prisoners before he experimented with them. We still called them that, because they had potential to become Freedom Fighters for the kingdom.

I pushed a button on my COM link, and tuned into Dad's frequency. He communicated from an upgraded version of his babble node.

"Okay, Dad. Cell block F is down. I'm about to check out the cells for prisoners. You copy?" There was silence on the other end. Dead air? Did I get the wrong frequency? Dad always answered. But then I heard strained breathing, like someone was choking.

"Dad?"

"Ngg..." It was my dad's voice, and he was in pain.

"Dad! Are you okay?" I swallowed, trying to remember my mom's words about what to do in a crisis. Take a deep breath, and keep calm.

"So...nia..." His voice was barely a whisper.

"I...I've been...ugh..." My mind hummed. _He must have been hit with one of Mortivus's lasers. Which usually contained poisonous acid. But he was too fast! How could this have happened? _

"Dad, stay with me. Can you still hear me?" I heard a slight hissing sound and realized he was breathing though clenched teeth.

"Aah...ngg...I need...help...the others...we split up..."

"What's your position?"

"I'll be...hard to...ugh...find. Go to-"

"I'll find you, Daddy."

"N-No!" He grunted in pain and caught his breath.

"No, Sonia. There's still...heavy fighting...going on here...Find Rotor to get...my...argh...location."

"How bad is it, Dad?" My mind was shouting that this was a dumb question.

"I'll be...alright. Just go, hon..." I tried to say something else, but he had stopped communication. Then something strange happened. As I was turning around and thinking of a plan, I heard Mom's voice on my COM link. But she wasn't talking to me.

"Sonic? You've stopped moving. What happened? There are still heavy enemy signals in your area. Do you read me?"

"Mom?"

"Sonia! What are you doing down there? Wait...The screen readings show you are still in Cell Block F. Where is your father?"

"I don't know, Mom. He just COMMED me, and then I heard you."

"That doesn't make any sense. I'm on his frequency. Only his babble node should be receiving this. Wait, Sonia. What was his condition when he called you? Is he all right?" I swallowed hard. How much should I tell her? I didn't want her to freak out, which was something she normally did when Dad got hurt. But I've always been taught to be honest, no matter what.

"I think he's hurt pretty bad, Mom. He was breaking up, and I don't think it was interference." My mom was quiet for a moment or two.

"Did you get his location?" Her voice sounded deeper and rushed, like it always did when there was bad news.

"No, he told me to find Rotor."

"Rotor's closer to me. I'll find out where Sonic is. He must be hurt bad if his babble node is malfunctioning like that. I still can't figure out how you got his...never mind. Just head back to the base."

"But what about the prisoners?"

"If you overhauled the system, they should be free now."

"Don't they need me to guide them out?" I acted like I was following the mission, but my head was filled with thoughts of my father.

"Sonia, that would take too long, and we're not sure how many there are. I need you to get out of there. Someone else will be assigned to guide them. The fighting is getting out of hand, and with your father out of...just get home, okay, baby?"

"Okay, Mom."

"Good. Over and out."

"Right." When I punched in the off button, my mind was still whirring. No, this wasn't going to work. I needed to find Dad, fast. I took a deep breath and tuned out everything around me. Knuckles had taught me about spiritual connections, and since I had a very strong bond with my father, we learned, over time, to sense one another. If we were tuned in, he always knew if I had an intense emotion, like sheer joy, sorrow, or pain. I knew it with him, too. So, if Dad was in that much pain...I should...Suddenly, I felt a burning sensation in my stomach, and I saw what looked like an abandoned warehouse. There were downed mutant creatures all around, but some of them were starting to stir. And there was a banging sound coming from an iron-clad door, inches from where I felt Dad's presence. I had to get him out of there.

I tuned it out again, except for the image of the warehouse. I decided that I would head right into the fray, since that was where Dad would be. Mortivus probably had plans to either capture him, or exterminate him. With him being the current King of Mobius, he was too powerful an enemy to him. I wasn't about to let Mortivus get his deranged claws on my father.

I sped out of the giant fortified prison, and met resistance right away. There was belt around my waist that held about a dozen vials. Rotor had developed an antidote for certain strains of the mutations, and we were supposed to splash the liquid on the ones that were only partially deformed. One side of my belt held a solution that was mixed with stuff that would fix the scaly type, and the other side was for the extra furry and fanged types. The creatures that were too mutated had reached a certain point, and were unable to be saved. So we had to save the mixture for the ones that still had hope, and knock down (and if absolutely necessary, take out) the ones that were too far gone. It really was a hassle to deal with in battle, since I liked to move fast, and pulling out a vial (the right one), unplugging the cork, and splashing it on the right bad guy took time and accuracy. But it saved people, and I was all over that. After what my dad called "splashing and trashing" the guys, I tried to keep my mind on the target. I didn't have the time or enough solitude to try to connect with Dad again, so I tried my hardest to keep the image fresh in my mind.

After a lot more fighting (and splashing), I finally found a possible target. There was a large metal building on the horizon, and a swarm of mutants. They were both grounded and aerial. But I didn't have time to take them out. I had to get to my dad. I could feel my link with him in the back of my mind, and it was slowly starting to fade. That had never happened before, and though this was a first for me, I started to feel a slow panic creeping up my spine. I chanted a mantra in my head as I sped and bounced past the enemy. _Hang in there, Dad. Live. Please live, Daddy. _I got a few bruises and scrapes, but nothing to "write home about", so I continued on. Almost there.

When I reached the heavy iron door, the enemy that had been banging on it before was almost inside. I took them out as quickly as I could (wincing at a few that might not get up again) and then I went from a homing attack to a spin. I flew at the door, feeling the dense metal rip beneath the stress of my hard quills. I slipped through the hole, landed on my feet, and quickly glanced around. All I could see were fallen mutants, and some were more distorted than others, but not because of Mortivus. Dad had really went to town. He must've been Super. I stepped over them cautiously, and when one moved I kicked it hard in the head. I kept my eyes on the concrete floor, and my ears were cocked for movement. He would be down here, if anywhere. Then I saw a puddle of red behind a large crate. I followed it, and it became a thin trail. He had still been moving. A couple more feet, and there he was. He was curled into a ball, his face slack. Either he was unconscious or... I shook my head, refusing to think about it too much. When I saw his hand clamped over his stomach, the brown cloth of his glove soaked through, I jumped into action. I untied the bandana from around my head, noticing how the golden color of his Super form was draining away from him along with his blood. I snapped the cloth in the air to unfold it, then wrapped it around his middle. He made a small sound when I braced his back, and a gasp when I tied the cloth tight. Still alive. Now he needed a tourniquet. I shook my head, realizing I should have done that first, but the gaping wound had disturbed me into covering it up. I thought fast, then took off my boot. I had long socks inside, and I stripped my leg of one and deftly tied it around his left arm. Then I sat back, planning my next move. I didn't want to move him when he was in such a critical state. I could COM someone to come get us, but it might not be fast enough. Mina the Mongoose was fast, but I had no idea where she was. Maybe she wasn't even on the battlefield. Tails usually let her go, but...hadn't I heard that she was pregnant again? No, there was no other choice. I had to move him. I took one more look at him. With the main artery tied off by my sock, he should have been pinking up, but his face and arms were a sickly pale color. Grimacing, I grabbed his wrist, pressing my fingers against it. His life force was weak. Usually his pulse was quicker than most everyone else's, but now it was slow and hard to feel. My vision blurred as it dawned on me that he might not make it. What would my life be like without my dad? What would the world be like without King Sonic the Hedgehog? He wasn't just a hero and a family man. He was life, energy, laughter. He was the Heart of Freedom. The pulse that kept it going. We all needed him. I needed him. He was the only father I had ever known, and would ever have. He _had _to live.

Gingerly, I pulled his arm towards me until he was in a sitting position. I ignored the ever-growing stain on my bandana, and crouched down, back against him. When I felt his chest on my back, I pulled his arm forward until he was draped over me. His face fell into my quills, and I felt them part. The image seemed funny in my head, but I shrugged it off. I could laugh later. When he was able to laugh with me. I stood up slowly and winced when I saw droplets of blood at my feet. Then I realized that I forgotten to put my boot back on. I did an inner forehead smack, and with Dad's wrists tightly in each of my hands, I used my feet to maneuver the boot back on. Good. Except for the minor problem of the zipper. Crap. If only I had telekinesis like some of the echidnas I knew. I let go of one of Dad's arms slowly, and inched my own arm behind my back to wrap around him. Luckily, he had never been very heavy. Then I bent over to pull the zipper with my other hand. I felt him slip and a groan escaped him. There was more of that disturbing moisture against my back, and I bit my lip. This was not helping. With the zipper up, I stamped my foot a couple of times and got a better grip on Dad again. I was about ready to rev up when I saw the small hole I had made in the door. No way. I couldn't...with Dad... Thinking fast, I began to search for where he had gotten in. _Please let it not be the air ducts. _Scanning frantically with my eyes, I saw a back door that I hadn't noticed before. It had been blasted open and melted by a tremendous force. Super Dad. Awesome. I sped through, ignorant of all the noise that was beyond it.

I dodged past most of the enemies, and got a few laser burns in the process. I wondered how Dad had gotten hit. Too much going on at once? Was he distracted? Then, I remembered that none of the K.O.'d mutants in the warehouse had blasters on them. An assassin? There were a lot of people after my father, the King. When the enemy got too fierce, my comrades swooped in to help me. I dodged another laser blast, only to notice a bad guy tumble over behind me. Julie-Su. The ground rumbled, knocking several of them over. Mighty. My heart quickened with pride as I sped forward. They were all my family, and were looking out for me and my dad. No one else was fast enough to help me get him out of there, though I noticed Julie run alongside me for a few seconds, and when she saw the trail of blood behind us, her brow furrowed. I saw her using her dreadlock COM link before she became a blur in the distance. _Almost home, Daddy. Hang on. _

We were only about ten miles from home when I felt him shudder against me. At first I thought he was waking up, so I started talking to him. When he didn't respond, and continued to shudder, I slowed down a bit. We were so close, but I couldn't hold on to him if he moved too much. When the shudders turned into writhing, I stopped dead in my tracks. Part of me was almost angry. _Come on, Dad! We're almost home! Did you have to start seizing?_ But seizing could only mean one thing. His body was starting to shut down. I lowered him to the grass and tried to hold him down. It couldn't be a good thing to jolt that wound. Then, without warning, he gasped and went deathly still. His coloring was still pale, and he stopped breathing. I grabbed his wrist again, and felt no life fluttering beneath his skin. _No. I refuse this. You are not dead. You can _not _go out like this! _

"No!" The word came out as a short bark. I lay my head on his chest, and when I was certain there was no heartbeat, I laced my fingers, with one hand on top of the other. Then I pressed down with the heal of my hand on his chest, forcefully. I counted out the rhythm, like I had been taught. Then came the second part. Or should I have done that first? I pushed his head back, hearing his quills rasp against the grass. They sounded dead. Like dead leaves. I shook my head and concentrated. I ignored the pressure of my lips against his, trying not to remember all of the innocent little girl kisses I had stolen from him. His lips had been warm back then... Fighting back tears, I breathed into him once, and listened for his heartbeat again. Another breath. Was it supposed to be three breaths and five compressions? Oh, Great Skies, I couldn't screw up and forget something like _this! _My father's life was in my hands!

When I got to the fourth round of chest compressions, I started to panic. He was growing cold, and the bleeding had stopped, but not in a good way. He was dead. If I had been a little bit faster...If I had remembered to put my blasted _boot _back on! I cried out towards the sky. Tears flowed freely, and I uprooted a tuft of grass fiercely.

Today never happened. Dad was safe and alive at home, with my mom and the other kids. He was telling a story, embellishing it with wild hand gestures. He was smiling, green eyes gleaming. Laughing with all of his heart and kissing my mother. That was what today had really been like. No cold, dead king laying underneath a tree. I screamed again and felt my throat go raw.

Then, through a slit in my eyes, I saw a flash of red through the leaves. I opened them to see Knuckles land a few paces away from me. He walked briskly over to my dad's inert form. The sun shone through the leaves, dappling his fallen body, making him look alive again.

"Knuckles," My voice was a strained whisper. "He's...gone. I tried...so hard..." Knuckles's deep eyes pinned me. He didn't look afraid.

"Shh. It's all right, Sonia. He'll make it." I blinked. Hadn't he heard what I said? He was dead! Surely Knuckles couldn't bring back the dead. Was he _that _powerful?

"Now, I need you to be quiet for me. This will take..." He took a deep breath. "A lot of concentration." I stared, feeling my head nod like it wasn't my own. He knelt down next to my father, his closest friend. Then he took another deep breath and closed his eyes. His face was like stone. Sheer determination. But I could see the tips of his dreadlocks move ever so slightly. There was no wind. He was shaking inside. It could have been the power gathering, but I knew it could also be fear. He was one out of many who would be devastated if King Sonic was lost.

A muscle in his jaw jumped. He was clenching his teeth. Slowly, a shield of green light started to form around him. It radiated out from the middle of his body, (where it had formed in his heart) down his arms. One mitten-clad hand rested on Dad's stomach, and the shining aura lit it up. Soon, Knuckles was surrounded with light, and I could feel the energy of it pressing against me like a stiff wind. Then it strengthened even more, and it was like a wall. I fell onto one knee, and my eyes watered. He looked almost god-like sitting there, with the power of life flowing through him. Then a sound escaped from his throat. It started out very quiet and low, then grew in intensity. Soon his voice was one long note, being carried over the field and through the trees. It was so deep and ancient, I half-expected to see the trees and rocks start moving.

After what seemed like forever, the light dimmed, going back into him, and his voice quieted. Sweat beaded on his brow, and he gasped like he had been holding his breath. His face was drawn, like half his life had been sucked away, and he slumped against the tree trunk.

"Knuckles?" My voice was hoarse. "Is he...are you...?" His eyes were closed, but he nodded his head once. I ran to my dad's side. He was still not moving. I turned to look at Knuckles, and his eyes were still closed, but a slight smile formed on his face. I quickly looked back over to my father. Ever so slightly, his chest moved. Then he breathed in a rush of air, and coughed. His eyes opened slowly, as if they had been closed for much longer. They were as green and alive as the grass around us. A sound escaped me that sounded like a yelp, and I covered my mouth.

"Daddy," I whispered into my palm. With my other hand, I untied the bandana around his middle. It was still damp with blood, but underneath... There was a slight mark, like a scar, but it was closed and there was no blood.

Moments ago, I had wished for today to not happen like this, and when Knuckles arrived, he made it happen. Or he un-made it. He brought my dad back to life. To our lives. He would laugh again. He'd probably laugh about it tomorrow. The story of how he almost died, told with much more wit and humor than how it really happened. Well, maybe this time he wouldn't go that far.

"Sonia. Hey, there. See, I told you I'd make it." I heard a grunt coming from Knuckles direction.

"Dad, you didn't. It was Knuckles...He..." Dad sat up and looked over at Knuckles, who was still exhausted and in pain.

"Knuckles? Did you...?"

"Yep. Saved you again. What do you think the score is now?"

"Hmm. Well, I think we're even for awhile, Knux."

"Great. I can save my energy." Dad stood up and put a hand on Knuckles's shoulder. He looked deeply into his old friend's eyes.

"Thank you. I couldn't do this for you, you know."

"No problem. Although," he winced. "I think I'm gonna need a really long nap, thanks to you. Don't die anymore, okay?" Dad laughed, and I almost cried at the sound of it.

"I'll try my best, Knuckles." Then he turned to me.

"Sonia. Thanks for getting me out of there." His eyes were soft on mine, and they showed a new respect. I threw my arms around him. Without caring that Knuckles was there, I cried out my relief on his chest. He stroked my back and whispered to me.

"Shh...It's okay, now. I'm back. It's gonna be all right, hon." Suddenly, he was quiet, and I drew away.

"Dad?"

He pressed a hand to his ear and motioned for silence. _It's your mom, _he mouthed.

"Sal? Yeah, it's me. I know, I know. But she...no, I'm okay. Knuckles...well, he helped a lot. Uh, huh. I'm still alive and kickin'! Sonia? She's okay too. Don't be too hard on her, love. Yeah, we're headed home. Okay, Sal. See ya soon." He took his hand off his ear and nodded.

"Okay, let's head home!" I nodded too, then looked over at Knuckles.

"I think I'll rest here for a bit, you two. I'll be all right. Just took a lot of energy out of me."

"Okay, Knuckles. See you later?" Dad's eyes looked at Knuckles's meaningfully. The two would talk more later on.

"Oh, Knuckles," I said. "Tell Julie 'thanks' from me when you see her. She COMMED you, didn't she?" Knuckles nodded.

"Yeah. I'll tell her. You know, Sonic, she helped save your life too."

"I'll thank her personally, later." They nodded at each other. Then he looked at me.

"Ready to go, my girl?"

"Ready, Dad."

We flew over the fields towards home, and as I found myself staring over at him to make sure he was real, he clasped my hand with his and winked at me. Then we were running together, hand in hand, like today had never been what it had been. Like we would both live forever.


End file.
